The Silicon Revolution

I recall a time of relative peace and much prosperity, a rock-solid economy.  The elements are still there, and may be revived at any time, for they are valid and reliable economic basics.  These are the bases for an authentic economy. We only lack people aware of sound bookkeeping, money, sales, and the mediating institutions which once provided for people in disaster before the government swept away all before it with ex nihilo credit.

I was listening to a 1949 radio show called Dragnet.  It's pretty funny.  When a family returned from a long vacation they found their furniture had all been taken.  The investigating police officers called the Salvation Army to help the family out.  A massive police effort was initiated to catch the burglars.

1. Police today would probably not bother much with a burglary.

2. The police today would not call the Salvation Army.  They would tell the family to contact a welfare office, if they showed up at all.

A change in police priorities is just one elements in a profoundly altered economy.

Matthew 7:24-27Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)²⁴ Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock,²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.²⁶ And every one that heareth these my words, and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand,²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof.

And...

Luke 6:47-49Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)⁴⁷ Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.⁴⁸ He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.⁴⁹ But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

This current economic system, where kids pay sales tax on the purchase of a bag of candy, and cities pay sales tax when they build a bridge (and scholarships are considered income for federal tax purposes, meaning the Ivy League can award scholarships to minorities, making their award numbers look good, but those same people cannot attend for inability to pay the taxes).

All this detail, and the microloans of ex nihilo credit to the indigent via EBT cards, depends on computers, in other words the silicon revolution.  

Let us imagine that the capitalist demagogues finally lose their mass appeal in the face of repeated broken promises. Let us assume there will be a temporary return to bland, reliable, everyday political hucksters, as this so-called cycle of ‘outsiders’ gets played out. The mass discontent will not go away. As the economic crisis and inequalities grow, extra-parliamentary public outbursts will are inevitable. With them, fear and uncertainty among bankers, speculators and billionaire electronic gadget makers will set in. The much ballyhooed ’silicon architecture’ will crumble like sandcastles. 

Silica is just another word for sand.  Our economic system is built on sand.  Don't say you weren't warned.

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